Many people in the West find it difficult to lose weight and obesity has reached epidemic proportions. In China, people who eat a traditional diet rarely have a weight problem as their diet nourishes the Stomach and Spleen.
The Stomach and Spleen are the two main organs of digestion and they are in charge of assimilating, moving and transforming our food and drink. Eating food that weakens these two organs often causes weight problems.
If we follow the suggestions below as well as the rest of the dietary suggestions in this chapter, we will naturally reach a healthy equilibrium in our weight.
* Eat nourishing food but avoid dieting. A nourishing diet contains grains and beans with fresh vegetables and fruit. If these are taken in the correct proportions they will strengthen the Stomach and Spleen and allow them to work at maximum capacity.
* Eat three meals a day regularly. Skipping meals weakens the Spleen.
* Cut down on damp and phlegm forming food. These rich foods are sticky and difficult to digest and put a strain on the Spleen and Stomach. Many people find that they effortlessly lose weight when they cut down on or cut out wheat.
* Avoid cold foods and drink. This can be a major cause of weight problems. Cold slows movement down, while heat speeds it up. Taking foodstuffs such as iced drinks, frozen yoghurts or too many raw vegetables will slow the metabolism.
* Avoid eating too much overly sweet food. The sweet taste is associated with the Spleen. A moderate amount of the sweet taste is very tonifying but an excess will weaken the Spleen. It is best to cut down on extremely sweettasting food and best to avoid food sweetened with white sugar altogether.
* Start doing moderate exercise. When we cut down on food the body thinks there is a famine and starts to conserve our food and energy. To lose weight we need to exercise, which will speed up the metabolism.